If you're more of a facts 'n' figures person than a visual one, brace yourself for some grim statistics. 99 percent of the top soil in Missouri (and Illinois) is either short of moisture or very short of moisture. St. Louis has endured 29 straight days of above-average temperatures (through July 25, so we should be at 30 today). We've had 0.53 inches of rain in that stretch, as if you and your brown yard didn't know. There's a 40 percent chance of rain today, with only a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms tonight. If that happens -- and considering our recent history and the lack of rain so far today, that's a big if -- it may cool us off temporarily but it's not enough to improve current drought conditions. According to the Weather.com's Nick Wiltgen, "Much of the current severe drought area needs at least nine inches of rain to get out of drought."